There exists a requirement for an anchorage device that can be set into soil, sandy soil, mud or mud-like soil. An ordinary soil stake must penetrate relatively easily but on the other hand provide secure anchorage and offer significant resistance to forces urging the stake from the soil. While this type of stake works reasonably well in dry soil it falters when in wet soil or sand where the stake is urged in the vertical direction and there is little or no resistance to the removal of the stake from the wet soil or sand.
One attempt to resolve the requirement for anchorage is a hold down device that has a plurality of adjacent conical segments disposed along the length of a stake shaft wherein each conical segment has an upward facing shoulder to resist removal of the stake from the soil. However, the surface area provided by these upward facing shoulders is relatively small. Additionally, the series of adjacent conical sections requires a relatively large amount of material to fabricate.
It is desirable to have an anchorage device that is easily insertable into sand, mud or mud-like soil. When fully deployed the device would resist vertical forces applied thereto. If desired, the deactivated device should be easily withdrawn from the soil.